THIS INVENTION relates to a dosage device. It relates also to a method of forming a dosage device, and to a method of treating an article or locus.
EP 0 777 964 A discloses a method of making a dosage device which comprises admixing at least one active ingredient which is a pesticide which is in solid form at 25xc2x0 C., is sparingly soluble in water, and which has an average particle size of less than 5 microns, with a disintegrating agent, to provide a compressible mix; and compressing the compressible mix into a unitary dosage device capable of disintegrating in water to form a suspension of said active ingredient in the water. Neither suspension preparation techniques nor drying agents are used.
DE 25 12 247 A describes making stabilized tablets containing moisture-sensitive ingredients but in which the particle size is relatively large.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,714 A discloses the preparation of a herbicide composition in which the particle size is also relatively large, the herbicide being applied in the form of relatively large pellets so that the herbicide is applied in concentrated form at relatively few loci.
WO 93 13658 A describes pesticide tablets with an internal dessicant.
DE 41 09 921 C1 discloses the preparation of a solid product but without a compaction step and particle sizes of the components are relatively large.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a dosage device, which method comprises
mixing a suspension concentrate comprising at least one active ingredient which is in solid form at 25xc2x0 C., and which has an average particle size of less than 10 microns, in a carrier liquid in which the active ingredient is non-soluble or sparingly soluble, and a drying agent for the carrier liquid, such that the drying agent takes up at least some of the carrier liquid of the suspension concentrate, thereby to dry the active ingredient at least partly and to obtain a mixture comprising the active ingredient and the drying agent; and
compressing the mixture into at least one unitary dosage device.
The method may include forming the suspension concentrate by mixing the active ingredient and the carrier liquid. The method may include communiting the active ingredient in solid form and having an average particle size greater than 10 microns, to have an average particle size of less than 10 microns. The active ingredient may be comminuted sufficiently to have an average particle size less than 5 microns, and even less than 3 microns, e.g. less than 1 micron. The comminution may be effected by wet milling the suspension concentrate, eg in a bead mill, to obtain the desired active ingredient particle size.
While, at least in principle, any carrier liquid in which the active ingredient is insoluble or sparingly soluble, can be used, the carrier liquid is preferably water.
The drying agent or dessicant may be an at least partially anhydrous substance. The at least partially anhydrous substance may be an anhydrous salt which takes up the carrier water as water of hydration. The anhydrous salt may be selected from the group comprising anhydrous magnesium sulphate, anhydrous sodium sulphate, anhydrous sodium acetate, and anhydrous calcium chloride. A molar excess of the anhydrous salt over the carrier water present in the suspension concentrate, may be used. For example, the molar proportion of anhydrous salt to carrier water may be about 2:1 to 2.5:1. However, it is envisaged that in some instances the proportion of anhydrous salt used need not necessarily be a molar excess over the carrier water present. For example, certain anhydrous salts can take up more than an equimolar quantity of water of hydration.
The method may include adding to the suspension concentrate and/or to the mixture a further substance capable of reaction with some of the water present in the suspension concentrate, thereby also to dry the active ingredient The further substance may be an oxide which is capable of reacting with water to form a hydroxide. The further substance may be magnesium oxide and/or calcium oxide. The magnesium oxide and/or calcium oxide may thus replace some of the anhydrous substance which is used. For example, when used, it may typically replace in the order of 25% to 50% by mass of the anhydrous substance which is used.
The method may include adding a dispersing agent for the active ingredient and/or an anti-foaming agent and/or an anti-settling agent to the suspension concentrate before and/or after comminution thereof.
Thus, the suspension concentrate may comprise the active ingredient, the dispersing agent, the anti-foaming agent, the anti-settling agent, and water as carrier for the other components. More preferably, the suspension concentrate may comprise
The dispersing agent may be a surfactant such as that conventionally used in a wettable powder or suspension concentrate formulation, for example a lignosulphonate such as sodium lignosulphonate or that available from Borregaard under the trade name Borresperse CA; sodium naphthalene sulphonic acid/formaldehyde condensate; sodium alkyl aryl sulphonate; a nonyl phenol alkylene oxide, such as nonyl phenol ethylene oxide condensate or nonyl phenol ethylene/propylene oxide such as SYNPERONIC NPE 1800 (trade name), available from ICI; alcohol ethylene/propylene oxide condensate; a sodium lauryl sulphate which also acts as wetting agent, such as that available under the trade name EMPICOL LZ from Lankro; a sodium diisopropyl naphthalene sulfonate which also acts as wetting agent, such as that available under the trade name AEROSOL OS from Cyanamid; a sodium salt of naphthalene sulfonic acid formaldehyde condensate, such as that available under the trade name TAMOL NNO or TAMOL DN from BASF; oxyethylated polyarylphenol phosphate, which is a dispersing agent in aqueous media, and an example of which is obtainable under the trade name SOPROPHOR FL from Rhone-Poulenc; or the like.
While the active ingredient can be any suitable active ingredient, such as a therapeutic agent, anthelmintic, a pigment or dye, or the like, the Applicant believes that the method will find particular, but thus not necessarily exclusive, application in making dosage devices in which the active ingredient is a pesticide, eg an insecticide, herbicide, fungicide, acaricide, or the like.
The active ingredient may thus be a pesticide which is sparingly soluble in water, with water hence being the carrier liquid for use in forming the suspension concentrate, as hereinbefore described. The pesticide may have a water solubility of less than 1000 mg/l at 25xc2x0 C., preferably less than 50 mg/l at 25xc2x0 C. Preferably, the pesticide should have a melting point exceeding 70xc2x0 C.
The pesticide may be a herbicide such as atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, terbuthylazine, diuron, chlorsulphuron, metsulfuron, tralkoxydin, or 2-(2-chloro-4-mesylbenzoyl)cyclohexane-1,3-dione; an insecticide such as deltamethrin, lindane, carbaryl, endosulfan, or carbofuran; a fungicide such as thiophanate methyl, carbendazim, flutriafol, hexaconazole, chlorothalonil, copper oxychloride, captan or thiram; or an acaricide such as hexythiazox, cyhexatin, amitraz or acrinathrin.
The method may include adding a disintegrating agent to the mixture before compressing it into the unitary dosage device.
The disintegrating agent may be capable of disintegrating by effervescing or swelling on contact with water. When it is capable of swelling on contact with water, it may be a cross-linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone which also acts as a binder. For example, the cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone may then be that available under the trade name POLYPLASDONE XL from GAF Corp., or that available under the trade name KOLLIDON CL from BASF. However, it can instead be any other suitable disintegrating agent capable of swelling on contact with water such as a modified cellulose gum, for example that available under the trade name AC-DI-SOL from FMC Corporation; a sodium starch glycolate such as that available under the trade name EXPLOTAB from Protea Chemical Services; or a microcrystalline cellulose binder such as that available under the trade name Avicel PH101 from FMC Corp. When it is capable of effervescing on contact with water, it may be an acid and base combination such as tartaric acid and an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate, eg sodium bicarbonate.
The method may also include adding one or more of the following to the mixture or to the suspension concentrate before admixture of the anhydrous salt therewith:
a further surfactant, such as that hereinbefore described, to inhibit recompaction of the active ingredient;
an absorptive carrier such as a colloidal silica, for example AEROSOL 200 (trade name), diatomaceous earth, or a clay such as attapulgite;
a binder such as a microfine cellulose, for example that obtainable under the trade name ELCEMA P100 from Degussa, and which also acts as a filler and disintegrating agent; or lactose monohydrate for example that obtainable under the trade name LUDIPRESS from BASF, and which is also a direct tabletting auxiliary;
a lubricant such as magnesium stearate;
a flow improving agent such as an absorptive silica, for example SIPERNAT 22S (trade name) from Degussa, which is a spray-dried ground silica, and acts as a free flow-anti-caking agent; and
a water soluble filler such as soluble starch, urea, or sodium chloride.
The mixture may thus comprise the suspension concentrate, the further surfactant, the anhydrous salt, and the disintegrating agent. More particularly, the mixture may comprise
The mixture is, if necessary, rendered into compressible form. The mixture may be allowed to stand for a sufficient period of time until the hydration of the salt, ie the water absorption, has been completed, thereby also to render it compressible. The water absorption or hydration period will depend on the anhydrous salt used, but can typically vary from about 12 hours to about 72 hours. If necessary, the mixture can be comminuted, eg milled, prior to compressing it. The method is, however, characterized thereby that drying of the mixture at elevated temperature prior to compressing it, is not required.
The invention also extends to a dosage device when made in accordance with the method of the first aspect of the invention.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a dosage device which is in compressed unitary form and which comprises an admixture of an active ingredient which is in solid form at 25xc2x0 C. and which has an average particle size of less than 10 microns, and a substance which is capable of being in anhydrous form, and which is at least partially hydrated in the dosage device. The dosage device may be as hereinbefore described.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of treating an article or locus, which comprises
introducing a dosage device according to any one of claims 13 to 19 inclusive, into a predetermined volume of water, with the volume of water being such that the concentration of the active ingredient in the water is greater than the solubility limit of the active ingredient in the water;
allowing the dosage device to disintegrate, thereby to form a suspension of the active ingredient in the water; and
applying the suspension to an article or locus to be is treated.